<p>I'm currently a sophomore in high school taking AP Physics, and we're about to choose our next year's classes. I have the option of AP Bio or AP Chem. If I'm interested in going through the premed track at NU, which class should I take? I'm also slightly interested in HPME, (although I realize that would be a bit of a stretch for me) and they require the chemistry SAT subject test. Thanks.</p>
<p>Northwestern seems to prefer bio applicants. :)</p>
<p>Speaking from experience here. I know ~10 students from my school who’ve gotten into Northwestern and they all took AP Bio.</p>
<p>AP Chem people go to MIT. ;)</p>
<p>thefreakedout makes a good point; afterall, being a doctor is mainly about biology</p>
<p>but if you feel like you’re up to it, then try asking your counselor if you can take both ap chem and ap bio in the same year. a few students at my school have done in the past, and now they’re going to mit, caltech, harvard, etc. (though it does tend to be self-selective, double-sciencing probably shows a lot of interest and initiative)
if that doesn’t work out, then you could self-study for ap bio (also shows interest and initiative) and take the ap test in may next year. it seems like a lot, but if you think about if you read just 1 chapter a day you’d be done in less than two months (the most commonly used text is 55 chapters). it’d also be a good idea to get a study guide and try to get permission from the ap bio teacher to do some labs, since that’s all you’d miss out on if you didn’t take the class.</p>
<p>In short, AP Bio is able to be self studied (due to the information based nature of the course), but a lot of students have difficulty self studying AP Chem.</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard, in HPME, there are usually orgo weeder classes. If I were you, I’d take AP Chem and self study AP Bio.</p>
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<p>What an absurd assertion.</p>
<p>AP Bio convinced me not to be a doctor. AP Chem convinced me that science is ****ing awesome.</p>
<p>@WongTongTong (nice name there)</p>
<p>It’s not an absurd assertion 
It’s a time tested fact at my school.</p>
<p>^ The reason why WongTongTong said that your comment is absurd is because you are implying a false dichotomy - i.e., take AP Bio, go to NU; take AP Chem, go to MIT. This is logically all sorts of wrong, and I shouldn’t have to explain why.</p>
<p>For example, I took neither, but go to NU. In fact, I took the AP Chem “equivalent” at my school, but my biology education was not similar to AP Bio (I took immunology, molecular cell biology, genetics, bioinformatics, all at a very focused level but absolutely no plant/evolution/etc.).</p>
<p>@ 161803 I say take what you want, but if you are completely uncertain, take AP Chem. Considering that as a premed, you will most likely be taking chem as a freshman and forget any of your high school biology by the time your reach the bio sequence, it will most likely be more useful.</p>
<p>As between AP BIo or AP Chem, I can’t really believe that one is better for premed than the other; they will both be helpful. However, if you think that you the Chem Subject Test will be important for you, then definitely take AP Chem. Those students tend to do very well on the Subject Test.</p>
<p>I took both my junior year, wasn’t too hard to do. I say take both, because 1. it shows northwestern that your serious about science, 2. shows you’re willing to take the risk and challenge of taking two AP sciences at the same time(it makes you look awesome), and 3. it will show you what you actually like to study. Taking both made me change my intended major from biology to chemistry. If you can only choose one, choose chem, because orgo at Northwestern is brutal and the AP knowledge will help you.</p>
<p>AP Chem, so that you can place out of chem 101, take orgo as a freshman, and avoid having to take orgo and bio at the same time as a sophomore. Also, northwestern doesn’t accept ap bio for the bio major.</p>
<p>I’m taking both as a senior. I’m a junior now and regular chem is ridiculously easy, I should have taken AP in the first place so I don’t have them both at the same time. Oh well, colleges will hopefully be impressed when they see my senior course load.</p>
<p>Oh! I’m thinking about self-studying Chem and take the test next year to meet the distribution requirement in science.</p>
<p>Okay, so from what I can tell, taking AP Bio or AP Chem will have the equal benefits as well as disadvantages, and the best-case scenario would be to take both as a junior. Currently, I’m at the top 5% of my class (out of 500, so about rank 20) and as of first quarter freshmen year my ACT was 25. I’m trying not to be presumptuous here, but I think it may be likely that I’ll have an ACT score of above 30 next year (and just as likely that I won’t). I’ve got some pretty EC’s and assuming I am considered as one of the top competitors for Northwestern, will the fact that I doubled up on honors bio and honors chem my freshmen year help Northwestern into accepting me much? In other words, how much does Northwestern take into consideration your course load. I’ll definitely be the only student graduating with 5+ years of honors/AP science in my class. Also assuming I do take AP Bio and AP Chem simultaneously next year, what science course would I take? (I’d have finished every science course my high school offers, so I would move up to my community college, which offers a lot more classes than my high school). -Thanks</p>
<p>THe difficulty of your course load is always given important consideration, so your challenging curriculum will be a plus. Keep in mind, however, that even a 30 on the ACT will not impress (which is not to say it’s a bad score; it isn’t. It just won’t impress the NU AdCom).</p>
<p>Yes, doubling up on sciences (and having your counselor mention how rare it is at your school in the rec) will communicate your passion and how much work you can handle, after all the number one consideration is your academic record. Senior year, unless you have a really heavy courseload though it seems like you’ve already taken most hard classes, take organic chemistry at a community college to prepare for college since you’re going pre-med, again it’ll show initiative and passion.
As for the ACT, just take a lot of practice tests. Seriously, it’s the best way to raise your score.</p>
<p>@Dmoney11, yeah the only math class that’s offered at the school which I haven’t taken is Calc BC, which I plan to take next year as well. I’m going to go to my community college for Calc 3 senior year already, so taking orgo at community college will be easier in terms of crossing between high school and mcc, since I’m already there.</p>
<p>I personally liked AP Bio a lot better than AP Chem, but i took them a year apart. Might as well double if you can handle it, but I don’t think it will make a difference which one you have a full year of on your transcript because all they will see is that it is an AP science class and that is all you really need.</p>
<p>If you can, take both. If you can’t, then I would take AP Biology first.</p>
<p>Alright, well, just for anyone who’s curious, I signed up for AP Chem, I’ll take AP Bio my senior year because my schedule next year won’t fit it in.</p>